Heat stroke is a kind of hyperthermia, i.e. a condition in which the body temperature rises above the normal. Our body performs certain metabolic activities that liberate heat. This heat is lost to the surroundings through our body in the form of radiations through our skin, i.e. dissipation of heat or through perspiration (sweat). This is how the body temperature is maintained. But if there is any imbalance, it may result in a heat stroke. If proper care is not taken then this condition can even be fatal.

Symptoms of heat strokesmay be like that of hypertension or they may be associated with nausea, vomiting, fatigue, tiredness, headache, dizziness, etc. However some may get heatstroke without any warning signals. Some other actions that indicate the presence of heat stroke are:-
(i) Increased body temperature
(ii) Decrease in the amount of sweating or no sweat at all
(iii) Increased pulse
(iv) Difficulty in breathing
(v) Agitation
(vi) Confusion
(vii) Seizure

In very rare cases of heat stroke, the person may also suffer from hallucinations and there could be elements of senility demonstrated in the behavior. However, it must be notes that most heat stroke symptoms would go away in some time, but the damage done to the skin will not go away so easily. This can be only cured with some form of treatment and care.

Home Remedies for Heat strokes

Heat strokes are not very serious conditions in most cases. They can be easily kept under check by certain precautions. If a heat stroke occurs, there are some things that can be immediately done in order to bring the situation under control. The following are some of the most effective remedies for heat strokes.

Boil a big-sized raw mango and then keep it in cold water for some time. When this mango becomes cooled enough, remove its peel. Now add the pulp of the mango in a churning machine (or a blender if you don’t have a churner), and add into it jaggery, cumin seeds, coriander, salt and some black peppercorns. Churn all these together well, just like you do when you churn yogurt. Keep on adding water as required. In the hot season, drink this in the quantity of one cup each time, three to four times in a day. You will find miraculous benefits to your heat stroke problems. This is one of the useful natural remedy for heat strokes.

There is another good remedy home remedy for heat strokes i.e. to protect yourself from the heavy summer heat by using raw mangoes. Roast a hard raw mango in coal ash. When the mango is roasted, remove its pulp and add some sugar to it. Consume this whenever you feel afflicted from the heat. This remedy provides quick relief from the summer time problems.

Onion can also be used to get protection from heat strokes. Shred an onion and then squeeze it through a cloth. You will get the juice of the onion. Apply this juice on the regions behind the ears and on the chest. This will take care of the inflammation within 24 hours. This is one of the best natural remedy for heat strokes.

There is another way to use onions as a remedy for problems brought on by excessive exposure to heat. Roast some onion in an open pan and then add in that some powder of cumin seeds. Add sugar to taste. Eat this mixture. You will be protected against the dangerous afflictions of heavy summer heat.

Simply eating one onion a day in some salad will also take care of heat strokes. It will keep you protected from the summer heat in case your skin is too sensitive. This is one of the useful home remedies for heat strokes.

Soak some plums in water and keep them there for a while. When they become soft enough, mash the plums in the same water with clean hands. Filter this suspension and drink the water. This is a very good remedy to heal the burning sensation caused due to exposure to the heat and even the panicky feeling associated with it.

Heat strokes treatment - If you are developing a slight fever from a heatstroke, then you can use this remedy to get immediate relief: Boil some tamarind in water. Then strain the suspension you get. Take the filtrate, and make a sherbet of it adding some sugar if required. Drink this sherbet twice in a day. It will help you if your body is sensitive to extreme cold. You can alternatively soak a towel in this solution and then splash this wet towel on the body several times in the day. This will also save you from the excessive heat.

Extract some juice from coriander leaves and add some sugar to it. Drink this twice a day in the hot days. It will arm you against heat strokes and other hot climate problems. This is one of the useful home remedies for heat strokes.

Mash some tamarind to a pulp in water. Apply this pulp on the hands and feet. This will cure the heat stroke and bring the skin back to normal.

Extract the juice of some tulsi leaves (basil, Ocimum sanctum). Add some sugar in it. This acts as a natural sunscreen to protect you from summertime afflictions such as heat strokes.

Grind some black peppercorns in some coconut milk to get a pasty mixture. Apply this paste on the body when it gets too hot. You will find your body getting naturally cooled down.

Heat strokes treatment - If you become dizzy due to heat strokes, then you must use the following remedy to prevent complications. Crush some amalaki fruits (Emblica officinalis) in water and make a glassful of sherbet. Add some sugar if you want. Drink this sherbet. Your problems will be gone as though they never existed.

The following is a good recipe to keep your body cool in the summer months: Take five grams of fennel seeds, two grams of rose petals, two grams of the java flower and two grams of the gojiva flower. Grind all these together and add in them some sugar or milk. Take small amounts of this paste for thee to four days. You will be fortified to face the extreme summer heat.

One more remedy to remove the heat from the body: Add a small quantity of salt in buttermilk and drink. Do this three to four times in a day. This is a good remedy for dissipating the summer heat, and taking care of other problems such as excessive thirst and scanty urination, which are common in the summer months. This is one of the best home remedy for heat strokes.

If you feel too hot in the summer months, then switch over to an all fruit diet for three days. Consume fruits such as oranges, watermelons, lemons, cantaloupes, grapefruits, etc. These will bring the coolness to your body. This is one of the best heat strokes remedy.

Prevention is better than cure, and this is certainly true in the case of heat strokes. It is very easy to prevent heat strokes from happening in the first place. These are some of the best methods to keep heat strokes away.

(i) If you have a cooler or an air-conditioner at home, then use them during the hot summer season. Moisten your body with water at least twice in a day in the summer, even though you do not have a whole bath.

(ii) Avoid exposure to the mid-day and afternoon sun in the summer season. The rays of the sun between these periods are the most excruciating. Try and restrict your outdoor activities in the mornings (before noon) and in the evenings when the sun has begun to go down.

(iii) If you cannot avoid working in the sun, then you must at least make use of an umbrella or hat which will save you from intense heat.

(iv) Dehydration is one of the commonest problems during the intense summer months. This can aggravate the heat strokes. Therefore, in the hot summers, you must drink more water and that too, more frequently. You must also keep your body supplemented with the necessary vitamins that are obtained from fresh fruit juices.

(v) Avoid alcohol in the summer months. Alcohol increases the heat in the body. This can aggravate the condition of sunburn and heat stroke.

(vi) Avoid artificial salt tablets as far as possible.

(vii) Do not wear tight fitting clothes. Let your skin breathe. Always wear loose cotton clothes as they absorb sweat and do not make you feel tired. Especially in the summer months, you must stick only to natural cotton fibers.

(viii) Whenever possible take a bath or shower with cold water.

(ix) Avoid all substances that contain caffeine, like coffee. They cause you to urinate more rather than sweat. This flushes out more fluids from the body, thus making the chances of a heat stroke more prominent.

(x) Do not exercise vigorously during summer. If you cannot do without exercising, then you must stick to some special and simple exercises to avoid exhaustion.

(xi) Last but not the least, if you see the symptoms of heat stroke, do not take them lightly and take proper care of yourself.